The market for international contractors has been undergoing stresses over the past four years, starting with a drop in commodity metals prices, which curbed the mining sector, closely followed by the collapse in oil prices. International contractors also have had to contend with national political and financial upheavals.
The uncertainties in the international construction market can be seen in the results of the ENR Top 250 International Contractors survey. The Top 250 International Contractors reported $468.12 billion in contracting revenue in 2016 from projects outside their home countries, down 6.4%, from $501.14 billion, in 2015. This is the third straight year showing a drop in Top 250 revenue. As a group, firms also reported $927.94 billion in revenue from domestic projects in 2016, up 3.4%, from $897.33 billion, in 2015.